It Does A Body Good . . . To Be Thankful

This weekend I sat down to make a list of Thanksgiving traditions, as well as some new ideas, that I wanted to do with Landon this year. As I was writing them down, I realized that I really needed to do something for myself as well – an activity to remind me of who and/or what I’m thankful for.

As I was brainstorming, I realized that what I never really do, nor do I see other people doing, is giving thanks for my body, or rather, for the things that my body does and has done for me. Yes, we are thankful for food, sleep, and exercise – all the things that we are doing to create a healthy body, but I never really see or hear anyone sharing things like, “I’m so thankful for my feet. They take me everywhere I go.” or “I’m so thankful for my tummy that carried two boys beyond full-term pregnancies.” As women, and especially as moms, we often look in the mirror and see bodies that aren’t quite what they once were, or we pull on pants that feel a little too tight and instead of embracing the positive, we only see and feel the negative. I know I’ve had these disapproving moments and thoughts, and to get myself out of that self deprecating mindset I remind myself of things like, “My feet that no longer fit in those shoes (since having 2 babies) and feel more tired than ever, travel about with not only me but sometimes the weight of my two little boys.” “My tummy that no longer feels as tight as it used to be has helped develop two amazing human beings.” We so often beat ourselves up for our body changing where we should really be THANKING our body for changing; it has done (and can do) such miraculous things.

So I thought, it could be an interesting and rewarding to post a picture each day (until Thanksgiving) of something that represents (to you) how grateful you are for a specific part of your body, from your eyes that help you see the amazing world we live in to your knees that bend and help you run. It can be a picture of living life, working out, or a close up on the body part you think is great – as abstract or concrete as you want it to be. (No dirty thoughts aloud here – although you can be thankful for those body parts too. LOL). Maybe write a reason why you are thankful for your body or that specific part in particular. I’ll be sharing on my social media accounts: Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, & will at least share the campaign on Periscope (My handle is @sarahaleyfit everywhere if you don’t already follow me). I’m hoping that you will join me, even if it’s not every day. Remember it’s a campaign (to raise awareness), not a challenge, so post as often (or as little) as you want. If you do, make sure to add to the post hashtag #BodyBeThankful and tag me @sarahaleyfit so I can see the picture and support you too!

If anything, I really just hope that you’ll take the time out this month to remind yourself how amazing your body is and to be thankful for what you have. We get older, we have children, life happens and things change . . . sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worse. For me, Thanksgiving is all about reminding ourselves how fortunate we are for what we DO have, so let’s take this opportunity to embrace those things that we sometimes forget to be thankful for the rest of the year.

If you’re wondering about my other Thanksgiving traditions and ideas, I’ll be putting them up on my YouTube channel super soon, so make sure you subscribe to my channel HERE, so you don’t miss that in coming weeks.

I’d love to hear what you think of this idea. Feel free to share it with friends you think might be inspired or interested. Please leave any questions or comments in the section below, including if you’ll be joining me in my 2015 #BodyBeThankful Campaign. Happy Thanksgiving!